• Made Own Solar Panel Made Own Solar Panel
    Do you want to save thousands off the cost of solar panels? Of course you do! You can now make solar panels at home! You have probably read about it or seen it on TV, but have you tried it yourself?

Tips for Conserving Water

The degradation of freshwater sources is a growing concern that we as a specie will increasingly have to come to terms with as civilization movies forward. It is important for all of us to do everything that we can in order to protect one of the most important resources in existence. In addition to the following tips, it is a good idea to get in touch with your congressmen in order to advise them to take action. In addition to the water itself, energy is used in transporting the water. As an example, water use accounts for a fifth of the state's electricity, almost a third of the natural gas use, and a total of 88 billion gallons of diesel fuel. Saving water saves energy resources as well.

The first thing that you should to conserve water is set goals for a reduction in your intake of water. As an example, you can commit yourself to using 20% less water every month. Post a consumption chart up in your home so that you don't forget. Make specific changes in habits and products that you use. Each month, add the new information to your chart. Use the extra money that you save to reward yourself and your family.

Reduce the amount of time that you leave your sprinklers on. The average lawn receives between twenty and fifty percent more water than it needs. This means that you can cut off somewhere between two and five minutes off for every ten minutes that you typically use your sprinkler.

It also helps to water at night instead of during the day. This prevents evaporation. A smart controller can also be installed that tells your irrigation system exactly how much water to use for optimal effect.

If any pipes or sprinklers are leaking or broken, be sure to repair them so that you aren't wasting water when it isn't even being used.

You can also take shorter showers, and install a water-saving shower head that reduces the amount of water used. Additionally, you can shut off your shower while you are lathering yourself up.

There are toilets you can install that use less water for each flush. Use energy-saving cycles when you are doing your laundry. The same goes for your dishwasher. In both cases, you should only run the machine when you have a full load.

Follow these tips and you will be able to make a drastic reduction in the amount of water you use everyday.


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Tips for Living Green

Owner of Jbsnet Marketing, affiliate marketing, energy consultant, relationship expert, and publisher of many help and information websites. Jerry spends his free time with his ...


Going green can mean many different things to many people, but all of us can do a little to help our environment. With all our problems in today's society, we sometimes forget about environmental issues which are all around us. Here are a few tips for green living that you can apply to your daily routine.

Recycling is something that is simple to do since many municipalities have added this feature to their waste departments. You see the eco green symbols on containers just about everywhere, but what does that really mean? By recycling plastics, aluminum cans, cardboard, and glass you help new techniques using these recycled goods in roadways, furniture, paper products, and many items we use in our everyday lives.Using rainwater can be a very smart way to save on water usage. Water is such a precious resource that sometimes we take it for granted. By placing a rain collection system outside to collect rain water you can use this water to water your garden and yard when needed. About 20% of our water usage is used outside of our homes.When purchasing appliances look for the energy star rating sticker to assure you that you are buying an appliance that meets new green energy standards for electrical usage. Not only will you save money on your electrical cost but you are helping cut CO2 emissions or green house gases.Start replacing your incandescent light bulbs with new CFL bulbs. CFL bulbs can save you up to 75% over the life of a light bulb lasting five times longer than regular incandescent bulbs. CFL stands for compact fluorescent lamp.The biggest use of energy is the heating of water in our homes. By installing instant hot water heaters you can save up to 30% of your cost of heating water. On this same topic, you can help conserve your hot water usage by cutting down your shower time, using cold water to wash clothes, and do the same when running your dishwasher.Sealing our homes my caulking around windows and doors can keep your heat in during the winter months, and air conditioning bills lower by not letting air escape. Maintaining proper insulation in our attics and walls can keep your heating and cooling cost to a minimum. Try wearing warmer clothes during winter, this way you can drop your thermostat to a lower setting, reducing your energy cost even more.Also using green rated cleaning products can have an impact on our environment by not placing pollutants back into eco system.When it comes time to purchase a new vehicle, consider one of the hybrid type that either runs on alternative fuels or electricity. These types of vehicles reduce exhaust emissions by putting fewer pollutants back into our air.

These are just a few tips for living green that I touched on. To look at other alternatives for going green consider solar panels or a wind turbine to produce your own electricity.



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Today's Renewable Energy Lingo

This is an exciting time for those of us in the energy field. A growing sense of environmental consciousness, along with some very generous State and Federal incentive programs, have made this the perfect time for New Jersey residents and business owners to consider Renewable Energy Systems, specifically by adding solar electric panels to their businesses and homes. For those reasons, getting the word out to our community about the environmental and economic benefits of solar energy has never been easier! We have assembled some terms and "lingo" currently being used within the renewable energy arena.

Glossary of Renewable Energy Terms

Photovoltaic (PV): An array of cells that have the ability to change solar radiation into direct current electricity.

Investment Tax Credit/Grant (ITC): A tax deduction provided to an individual or corporation by the federal government towards the installed cost of a renewable energy system. The current tax credit is set at 30% of the total installed system cost.

Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System (MACRS): A method of accelerated asset depreciation provided under the United States income tax code. Corporations are permitted to depreciate renewable energy producing assets on a six year timeframe.

Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC): A tradable certificate which is generated for each 1,000 kilo-watt-hours (kW-hrs) of electricity produced by a grid-connected solar electric system and represents the clean energy benefits generated. Each SREC generated and received by the generator can be sold independently or through a broker to an electric utility provider. The value of each SREC is dependent upon several variables, including the state in which the SREC was generated and the set price of the Solar Alternative Compliance Payment. In New Jersey, the current trading value of one SREC for September 2009 is approximately $650.00.

Solar Alternative Compliance Payment (SACP): A payment that is required by an electric utility provider to a state if the supplier fails to generate the required amount of electricity from a renewable source as defined by the local Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).

Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): A legal agreement between a solar electric producer and a host power purchaser. The PPA provider secures funding for the project, maintains and monitors the energy production, and sells the electricity to the host power purchaser at a contractual price for the term of the contract.

Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC): A form of contracting arrangement which provides that the contracting party will design, procure all necessary materials, and construct the project. EPC agreements are the most common forms of contracts in the energy industry.

Net Metering: An electricity policy for an individual, company or corporation who owns a solar electric facility, allowing a no-cost method of effectively banking excess electricity production for future credit creating an offset between a User's electrical usage and the Photovoltaic (PV) system's production. The purpose of net metering is to design a system which produces the same amount of electricity as the consumed amount of a user so there is no transfer of electricity from the local grid.

PJM Generation Attributes Tracking System (GATS): An online system maintained by PJM (Pennsylvania, Jersey, Maryland) Interconnection which is responsible for tracking and recording electrical attributes across a multi state region. GATS acts as a clearing house where renewable energy certificates are recorded, certified and traded amongst various parties including solar electric producers, brokers and electric utility providers.

New Jersey Clean Energy Program (NJCEP): A state funded program which promotes the concepts and technologies of energy efficiency and use of alternate energy sources. The goal of NJCEP is to spur alternate energy development and energy efficiency practices in efforts to reduce the statewide demand and use of nonrenewable energy sources.

Renewable Energy Incentive Program (REIP): A program maintained under the NJCEP, which is designed to provide incentives that reduce the initial cost of installing various alternate energy systems. The REIP is part of New Jersey's efforts to reach its Energy Master Plan goals of creating 30 percent of its own electrical demand from renewable sources by the year 2020. The program uses financial incentives to system owners, who install qualified clean energy generation systems within the State.

Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS): State policy that requires electric providers in the state to have a minimum percentage of electricity production through renewable sources by a certain date. In New Jersey, the state goal is to generate 22.5 percent of the electrical demand from renewable energy sources by the year 2021. Now is the opportunity to be leader in the growing green energy movement.


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Top 10 Fixes Resulting From a Home Energy Audit

A home energy audit is the first step towards achieving energy efficiency in your home. Your professional auditor will perform a series of tests to determine your home's true energy saving potential, and at the end will provide you with a comprehensive list of ways you can improve your home's efficiency. The top ten fixes normally recommended include:

1. Fix Air Leaks: Air seeps inside your house through leaks along baseboards, window frames, fireplace dampers, etc. and creates a major increase in your home's energy costs. By applying proper caulking and weather stripping, you can lose the leaks and decrease your costs by as much as 30 percent annually.

2. Replace Insulation: Heat loss through ceilings and walls in your home can be tremendous if the insulation levels are less than the recommended minimum. By replacing inadequate insulation with better quality insulation, you can decrease your home's heating and cooling costs by a significant amount.

3. Upgrade Heating and Cooling Systems: Inefficient heating and cooling systems can be a big drain on your bank account. By replacing systems that are more than 15 years old with energy efficient systems, you can save as much as 20 percent on your heating and cooling costs.

4. Replace Lighting: Energy use for lighting your home accounts for 10 percent of your electric bill. Making simple changes, such as switching out lamps with compact fluorescents or other energy efficient lamps, and replacing light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs, you can save a whopping 50-75 percent in your light energy use. Plus, these bulbs last longer, so you don't have to worry about changing them literally for years at a time.

5. Replace Appliances: Major household appliances, such as your refrigerator, washer and dryer, account for a big chunk of your monthly utility bill. In fact, one inefficient appliance can throw your entire energy system out of whack. You can save as much as 50 percent by replacing an old appliance with an energy efficient appliance.

6. Replace Windows: Old, inefficient windows can be a major source of air infiltration. Replacing drafty windows with double-pane or other energy efficient windows can reduce your energy costs by as much as 30 percent.

7. Replacing Doors: Just like windows, doors are another area where cold air can seep into your home. Switching out ill-fitting or otherwise inefficient doors with better quality doors can save you just as much as replacing windows.

8. Adding Solar Panels: Solar is a fantastic green technology option that can put money back into your wallet. While solar panels are generally expensive to install, the savings they generate more than pay back your initial investment. Solar panels save homeowners as much as 90 percent on their electric bills each year. In fact, if your home becomes fully dependant on solar electricity, your utility company can end up paying you instead of the other way around.

9. Smart Metering: Smart meters used in conjunction with a conscious effort by the homeowners to reduce energy usage, can reduce energy consumption by 12 percent each year.

10. Solar Water Heaters: Installing a solar water heater in your home can save the typical household $220 each year.

While these fixes range from being extremely inexpensive to putting a rather big strain on your bank account, they all yield one very important result: energy savings. A home energy audit will help you determine what fixes will yield the biggest results, and in the process, turn your home into a much more comfortable and inexpensive place to live.


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Top Ten Reasons to Put Solar Panels on Your Home

In case you haven't heard about the fantastic ways solar panels benefit your home, wallet and mankind, we thought we'd put together a list of the top ten ways they do all of the above:

1. Show your kids you care: What better way to show your kids how much you care than to invest in their future? Investing in photovoltaics (or PV) is investing in a greener tomorrow. It reduces pollution, has no by-products, and is extremely clean. Putting solar panels on your roof is a clear sign that you think your kids deserve a better, cleaner, and greener planet for their own children.

2. Set a tone for the neighborhood: When you put solar panels on your roof, you're starting the trend for others to follow towards building a greener neighborhood. You'll be amazed at how quickly your neighbors ask for your installer's number.

3. Lower your energy bills: A PV installation can help you save you as much as 30-100 percent on your electric bills depending on your location and energy usage.

4. Increase the value of your home: In a world that's moving more and more towards green technology and energy efficiency, solar panels make your home much more attractive to prospective buyers, thus increasing the value of your home.

5. Hotter Water: Solar water heaters can produce more plentiful and hotter water for your home. No more cold showers for the last out of bed.

6. Low maintenance: Solar energy systems are stable and require very little maintenance, so you don't have to worry about recurring trips up the ladder or out the window.

7. Power Outages Won't Affect You: While others in your neighborhood are huddling with flashlights and candles during power outages, you can use energy stored in a battery connected to your solar panel system to power your home.

8. Compensation: In addition to receiving tax rebates for using solar power, new requirements for your local utility company may entice them to pay you a premium for the energy you produce.

9. Ability to Harness Power in Remote Locations: Have you always dreamed of owning a home in the mountains with tons of land and very few neighbors? Solar panels can make this dream a reality. In areas where it is difficult to construct power lines, solar panels are a great option for bringing in electricity.

10. Create Jobs: The solar industry is already growing rapidly, and you can contribute by purchasing solar panels for your home. This growth is creating jobs. In fact, for every million dollars invested in solar energy, five to 15 jobs will be created.

Investing in solar for your home can help re-build the economy, make the world a better place for your children, and position you as the role model for green technology in your neighborhood.


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Types of Solar Power You Can Use in Your Home and Garden

You want to save on your electricity bill. You want to do your part to help our environment. You want to know more about the types of solar power and how you can use it in your home. But it sounds complicated doesn't it? It doesn't have to be.

You don't have to set out to save the whole environment all at once. Every little step that you take to reduce your carbon footprint and to incorporate alternative forms of energy in your day-to-day life makes a difference. If everyone took those little steps, they'd add up to giant steps and before you know it we'll have saved the world from global warming, reduced carbon emissions, slashed energy prices...

Okay maybe not all of the above, but we can slash our own energy costs and give the environment a helping hand at the same time.

There are different uses of solar power that we can take advantage of, some you may already use and some could be implemented easily, others are a bit more difficult and costly but not as out of reach as you might think. The main types of solar energy that we use are passive, collectors, photovoltaic ( solar cells), and photoluminescent. You may already use some of these without even thinking about them as "solar" energy suppliers.

Do you hang your laundry on a clothes line? That's an easy use of passive solar energy. You are using the renewable energy from the sun instead of running an electricity or gas-powered appliance. Another use of passive solar energy is a greenhouse or a conservatory that collects heat. This is using solar heat, not generating power that is converted to another use but by using that heat you are not using other sources of energy.

Collectors are another use of solar heat. These are commonly used to heat water for home use and pools. These are an easy system to build and quite an effective method for harnessing the heat from the sun for your own use.

Photoluminescent items store solar energy and release it later, when it is dark or they are turned on. Some outdoor and emergency lighting uses this technology.

Photovoltaic are solar cells. These are the ones you may think of most often when you think of solar energy. The cells convert the energy from the sun into electricity to power a range of things. They are used in watches and calculators. They are what power your outdoor garden lights. They are what make up solar panels that can power RV appliances, street lights or light up your home. They are versatile enough to power a solar fountain in your yard to providing power for your electric lights.

Using solar energy in your home doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition. Start out small, maybe with outdoor lighting, and soon you'll be wanting to learn how to build your own solar panels to help power your workshop or heat your pool.


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Uses of Solar Power in Your Home

There are many uses of solar power in your home. They range from passive solar energy to dry your clothes to going completely off the grid and generating enough solar energy to provide all the electricity you need for your home. I think most of us fall somewhere in between these ideas and generally would like to learn more about the uses of solar energy so we can reduce our carbon footprint and at the same time save money on our utility bills. Cutting our energy costs goes hand in hand with using solar power. There is more of an investment up front and a bigger learning curve than knowing how to flip an on/off switch, but using renewable energy from the sun will pay for itself in money and convenience.

Some of the passive uses of solar power you may already use. If you hang your laundry out on a clothesline to dry, you are using passive solar heat. If you have a greenhouse, a cold frame, or a solarium you have a passive solar collector that provides heat to that space. If you have a cat, think about where your cat hangs out during the day. If its a sunny spot, there's your solar heat collector. Can you utilize that space and put that heat to work for you?

Solar collectors can also be built to provide hot water for your hot water heater or your pool. They consist of a collecting system that "collects" the heat, often black pipes or panels. The water is then passed through the heat collector and heats up. This is a simplistic explanation, but you get the idea. Solar hot water collectors are an efficient and fairly easy to build hot water system that you can add on to your existing home without much fuss.

Solar cells make up solar panels and are what most of us think of when we hear the words solar energy. Solar panels and cells are used in everyday things we take for granted such as calculators and watches. They are used very effectively in outdoor lighting, removing the need for electrical wiring as well as being a renewable source. Solar panels can power an item directly, using the energy they generate to power an item and only working when they are in the direct sun and collecting energy. They can also store that energy in a battery. Think of your outdoor solar garden lights. They collect energy in a small panel and it charges the batteries used to light them after dark.

That simple principle of how the solar garden light works is the same applied to any kind of solar panel, the ones on RVs used to power the TV to the ones on top of buildings that run all the lights. All these solar panels need is a way to collect the solar energy and somewhere for that energy to go and be used. You can even make your own solar panels to generate this power. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing situation, you don't have to generate all of your own electricity. There are uses of solar power for your home that will fit your own needs, large or small.


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Water Conservation Tips: A Top 10

Water conservation is extremely important. First of all, it can save you a lot of money. Even more important, it can help prevent pollution in local water supplies. Here is a top ten list of some of the best water conservation ideas you can use in your home.

1. Check for Leaks

One of the easiest water saving tips any homeowner can use is to check the pipes in his or her home for leaks. A leaky faucet can waste as much as twenty gallons of water in a single day.

2. Only Use Full Loads in Your Washing Machine

Doing multiple smaller loads is an easy way to waste thousands of gallons of water a year. Only washing full loads is one of the best water conservation strategies you can use.

3. Use Your Water Meter

Learn how to use it. It is extremely important for water conservation. If you find that the readings have changed after only a few hours water not being used, you have a leak somewhere in the house.

4. Don't Use Your Toilet Like a Garbage Can

Many people like to throw any kind of trash into the toilet and flush it. Every time you flush something that could have been thrown into an actual trash bin, you waste seven gallons of water.

5. Use Water Conserving Shower Heads

Shower heads specifically designed for water conservation can be bought for cheap at most hardware stores. These save thousands of gallons of water a year.

6. Spend Less Time in the Shower

Another one of the best water saving tips is to only run the shower when you need to wash off. If you cut your shower time down to four minutes, it could save 40 gallons a day.

7. Don't Let Your Faucet Run

You don't need to let your faucet run the entire time you brush your teeth. After you're done wetting your toothbrush, turn it off. This will stop a lot of unnecessary water consumption.

8. Store Water in Your Fridge

Many people let their tap water run so they can get cold drinking water. This is wasteful. Instead, keep a pitcher of ice water in your fridge.

9. Wrap Your Pipes in Insulation

Foam insulation for pipes can be purchased at any home improvement store. It will allow you to get hot water much quicker so you don't have to waste water while you wait for it to warm up.

10. Use Your Sink to Clean Your Razor

Instead of using running water, place it in a sink with a couple inches of water. This will do the job just as well and help cut down your water consumption.


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Water Saving Tips You Can Do At Home

There are many water conservation ideas that are easy to do and can save you money on your water bills. Water awareness can help prevent shortage and increase our ability to grow food and keep the landscape green. Here are several saving tips that you and your family can do at home.

1. Whenever you are washing dishes by hand, do not keep the water running while you are rinsing the dishes. Use one sink for washing and the other for rinsing.

2. Some air conditioners, ice-makers and refrigerators use wasted streams of water to cool. Think about upgrading to air-cooled appliances to receive a substantial savings on your water bills.

3. Move every sprinkler so it only waters the lawn and not the sidewalk, house or street.

4. Turn on the dishwasher and clothes washer only when they are full. This action can save you as much as 1,000 gallons of water per month.

5. Select low shrubbery or ground plants instead of grass for steep sloping areas and isolated parcels of land. This kind of landscaping can trap more water and help keep the ground moist.

6. Put covers on outdoor spas and pools. Be sure to look for leaks in the pumps.

7. Compost your disposable pieces of fresh vegetables instead of throwing them into a garbage disposal. Try to use the disposal as little as possible.

8. Start planting your flowers and scrubs in the fall. The fall receives more rain water and is cooler.

9. Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator. This lets you use every drop of water for consumption every time someone goes to the faucet and lets the extra water go down the drain.

10. Let the children cool off during the hot months with a sprinkler located where the lawn needs watering the most.

In addition, it is a good idea to look for efficient water devices and home appliances. Often, these products are about 20% more efficient than other equivalent products. A lot of waste-water and water utilities give homeowners rebates for water-efficient fixtures and home appliances.

There are several factors that affect our water supply and are difficult to control. Climate change has decreased snow packs and helped produce higher temperatures. Growing populations have used more and more water. However, the consequences of limited water supplies can be less severe when homeowners join together to use water conservatively.


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What Are Our Options for Renewable Energy Resources

The sun provides enough energy each day for the whole planet to use for twenty years, and it is only one type of renewable energy available for us to use. Other renewable alternative energy resources are geo-thermal and wind energy.

The alternative renewable energy resources obtainable to help you get a look at what options are offered to you are detailed in this article. The fact that fossil fuels will some be exhausted is the reason it is important for you to consider renewable energy as a part of the options available to you.

Solar power makes use of sunshine to create electrical and heating energies, making it a valuable, renewable energy resource. Water purification systems, PV systems, and hot water systems are forms of solar energy using radiation conversion. There are currently around two hundred thousand homes using this type of power to generate electricity. For those wishing to use a clean, green energy source, save money, or reduce carbon emissions, this renewable form of energy becomes a viable option as it is made more affordable.

People, who would like to cut their energy costs and fossil fuel reliance, are also making use of another alternative, renewable energy resource-- wind power. In 1890, wind power was first used to generate electricity and has lasted for quite a long time. The market is still growing rapidly today.

In order to power homes, it is not necessary for a heavy, constant wind to be blowing despite what most people may think. Wind can be produced in your backyard and is green and clean, and has the best potential for growth. Wind power is an ideal option for people who have a respectable expanse of land in a remote location where grid power can't be reached.

Wind power is consistent as well as reliable; the expense of the equipment needed is reasonable. Batteries can be used to operate the systems when this kind of power is not readily available to those in remote locations. You can still take advantage of wind power even though you're not living in a far out of the way place by using a small wind turbine, which can generate sufficient energy to be utilized in most households.

There are some other alternative renewable energy resources; however they are unsuitable in certain areas and not very successful. For example, hydroelectricity requires high water pressure from a dam to produce energy-only ten percent of the time does it result in hydro electricity. A few of these dams are located in the western part of the country. Setting up a hydro-powered generator in a small stream or river will allow you to create your own electricity.


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What Makes a Metal Roof a "Green" Roof?

At the present time, as the technology and industry improves, the pollution and toxic waste also intensifies. With the proliferation of manufacturing and industrial plants, not to mention the voluminous waste that is being dumped in the landfill every year, Mother Nature remained compromised. However, there is one commercial product which is an advocate of the green environment. So, environment supporters, read on.

There are lots of products which claim to be environment friendly. From air conditioners, television sets, refrigerators, beauty products, paints and so on, all claiming to protect the environment. Not a bad thing, though. However, the question is do they really live up to their promise?

Metal roof does. How? This article will explain to you. We will discuss the powerful characteristics of metal roofs which will help you understand why it's called a green metal roof, how in direct or indirect way, it has become an environment friendly roof.

Durable - No need to replace for the next 50-75 years. There were reported stories that the building has broken down but the metal roof itself has stood strong.

Very sturdy and tough - It can withstand strong winds up to 160 miles per hour. It stays unharmed even during heavy hail downpour.

Almost zero maintenance - With proper installation, you need not repair or repaint your roof.

Metal roofs are mildew, rot, rust and insect resistant.

Energy Efficient - Metal tops reflect off heat, cooling your home by about 20%.

Now, we will discuss why this roof is a green roof. Since this metal top can last up to 75 years, you need not replace your roof in your whole lifetime! Also, since you don't have to change your roof for as long as you live, you reduce the number of roof wastes in the landfill. US studies show that there are over 20 billion pounds of waste shingles dumped in the site.

Metal roofs need not be repainted because metal tops are scratch resistant, so no gallon of paint is required. We know that paints contain chemical compounds and elements that can be harmful to your health.

Metal roofs are energy savers. They make your home cool in the hot summer months; you don't need to turn on your air conditioners. Air conditioners leaks off "chlorofluorocarbons," a group of chemicals that are harmful to your health.

In addition, metal tops are made of recyclable materials. In the event, you would ever come to a point to replace your metal tops; you can still recycle your old metal roof.

So you see, metal roof is truly an advocate of the environment, either directly involved or not. You don't just get a sturdy and lifetime roof; you also get to share in the preservation of the environment.


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Why Homemade Power?

Why is there such an interest in home wind power and solar energy, for powering a typical family home? Now that supplies of fossil fuels are under threat, and the demand for power continues to grow (especially from emerging economies like China), it is imperative that alternative sources of energy production are found. Households can go a long way toward alleviating the demand for energy by producing their own supplies.

Any excess energy produced (over and above the home's need) can be sold to the electricity company and made available on the national grid. It is relatively inexpensive and once the initial work is done, will provide energy for years to come. A typical small wind turbine, for instance, could be installed over the course of a weekend. What about the savings that can be achieved? The wind turbine typically lowers your utility bill by 50-90%. It is not unusual for families with total electric homes and wind turbines to have monthly utility bills of $8-$15 for part of the year. In cooler climates, where less air conditioning is used, the bills can be very low year round.

Energy-producing solar panels are also well within the ability of someone with a reasonable amount of DIY skills. The raw materials for these items are readily available - most of them in typical hardware chain stores.

The more families realise that it is a viable alternative to the electricity company, the faster it will catch on and the better it will be for the environment. Both of the energy sources that are dealt with on this website are environmentally friendly - wind power and solar power. They are both sources of electricity that are freely available in nature and so they deserve the "green" tag.


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Why We Should Use Renewable Energy

As good citizens who should be doing good things, we are being warned by environmentalists and governments to find a way to offset the high demand for dwindling stores of fossil fuels on the planet. We have begun to explore the possibilities of renewable energy to determine if it can be used to satisfy our energy needs.

The fact that these fuels harm our environment is a huge worry. Global warming is most definitely related to using fossil fuels. Human and animal life are both threatened by global warming, just like our weather patterns including hurricanes, droughts, and heat waves are threatened.

To learn more about global warming, the video, An Inconvenient Truth, can be rented. After you see this documentary, you will have the strongest urge to modify your home design to save energy and to save the planet.

As a clean and healthy energy form that leaves little behind, renewable energy has great advantages, and they are becoming more appealing to many people today. Geothermal energy, solar power, and wind are some of the energy forms that are attracting attention. As time goes by, the desire to produce these types of renewable energy and others will result in new jobs, that will more than likely remain within our country borders.

Incentives and tax rewards are offered by the government to those who want to use renewable energy for their household needs. These financial benefits typically reimburse you for up to 30% of the system cost and make the system usable and affordable for both homes and businesses.

Those incentives are just a few of the rewards that come with using renewable energy. These days, individuals are even more willing to go green since they realize that they can save money by doing so. People like these favor green cities and strive to do whatever they can to improve and protect the planet on which they live.

To lower the level of pollution and reduce the amount of environmental harm, individuals who reside in green cities must follow certain rules. In turn, they end up with homes and cars that use energy more efficiently. If you look at The Green Guide, you can identify the top 10 greenest cities in the country and also find information about the planet's green issues. This guide is published by National Geographic each year.

As you can see, there are many reasons why you should use renewable energy in your household; however there is a significant drawback - the price of the installation. To install a solar system, it typically takes around $20,000. Until the price comes down, only the wealthy can pay to truly go green.


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Why You Should Be Using Renewable Energy Wind Power

Many years past, the windmills were used to help settle the wilderness regions of the United States. It was invaluable as a form of energy that was needed to help get water to livestock like cattle and sheep. Over time, technology advanced, and the windmills were replaced by electric power from utility companies.

Now, Americans are looking back at the success they had with wind power, and this is for two reasons - the cost of electrical energy from the grid and the damage it does to the planet.

The most valuable features of renewable, wind powered energy are:

1. It costs nothing.

2. You can get wind power practically anywhere.

3. You don't have to be rich to have access to wind power as an energy source, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to put your own system together.

Power companies that use fossils fuels and increase the risk of global warming can be replaced by renewable, wind power sources. Wind energy is as green as you can get practically, and using wind instead of burning fuels will definitely help the environment.

There are even subsidies and grants being offered to people in particular states, and it seems like this would be encouraging more and more people to utilize wind power. Well what is preventing people from getting in on this inexpensive source of energy?

Misconceptions - there are so many about renewable, energy wind power. This article is going to clear up all those misconceptions and tell you the truth about utilizing wind power.

To begin with, this article will explain how a home system can be built that will not only lower your power bill, but it might even provide you with a tiny income if you have extra power.

The good thing about the wind turbines is that they are lightweight yet extremely sturdy and can be attached to the roof of a house. Because of the advances in technology, the turbines are so light and effective that the occupants of the house will not be bother by the motion and blades. The gearing's development is so extensive that even a small unit can provide a great deal of energy.

To learn more about wind power, you should check out links at the US Department of Energy. These links will direct you to websites with other credible information regarding this renewable energy source.

You can purchase and kit set and the other necessary items for around $200 or less. As long as you have some DIY talents you can put the unit together yourself without the help of an electrician.

The larger energy companies are not going all out about wind farms because of the hesitancy of the landowners to give up their land for wind turbines. Don't let that deter you though because there are not many reasons why you shouldn't contemplate creating your own mini wind farm.

Utilizing wind power to take care of your own needs could very well be an important step to take for those who are interested in saving money and the planet. It is known with a great certainty that as the non-renewable fuel sources continue to diminish and more blackouts occur, the cost of this energy will rise.

Nothing is as great as being independent, and that will probably become the biggest reason that most people will become interested in renewable, energy wind power. If you're still not sure if a wind turbine can work for you, you should know that you can evaluate the possible effectiveness of your unit by getting an anemometer and keeping a record of the mean wind speeds.


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